


A Bright Idea

by Baozhale



Series: Tamora Pierce BINGO 2013 [10]
Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce, PIERCE Tamora - Works
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 15:59:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baozhale/pseuds/Baozhale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A modern lightbulb appeared on Duchess Sandrilene Fa Toren's nighttable overnight. She, Daja, Tris, and Briar examine it... and might just want to make more.<br/>Bulb prompt for BINGO</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bright Idea

Sandry woke up to _two_ light sources on her night table. She looked at the second source of light puzzled. The light it cast was just as steady as the crystal her siblings enchanted for her after the earthquake, but unlike her crystal, this threw heat into the room. She was fairly sure she liked her crystal better, though the fact that this strange globe didn't flicker with any magic as her crystal did suggested that it might have uses for everyday folk.

 _Or for magical workings where you don't want even a sniff of other magic inside the the circle with you?_ That was Briar. _What are you looking at, anyhow?_

 _Wouldn't you just put your lamp outside your circle then?_ Tris asked. _That's what they had us do at Lightsbridge_. _But what_ is _that?_

 _If you're so curious, come here and look!_ Sandry thought. _Actually, please come anyways- I want that thing in a protective circle until we're sure it's not going to explode in our faces_.

 _One moment, your Grace_ , Briar thought. Sandry could hear the same teasing tone to “your Grace” he had always put behind his references to her as a Bag.

 _Good to know my status isn't changing him_.

 _Coming_. Tris.

 _I_ heard _that!_ Briar.

_And will you argue?_

_Isn't that what I do?_

_Well... yes._

_Just a moment, what's this?_ Daja was awake now.

 _Sorry, Daja. There's a...the problem is that we don't know what it is in my room. It's a light source of some sort. I don't think it's going to explode or hurt us, but I want to be sure. And if it_ is _safe, I think it'd be good for Emelan to learn to make more._

_An experiment? We haven't had a good experiment in a while. I'll be right there._

Sandry picked up her crystal and stepped into the hall. She didn't think the new globe was dangerous, but as the first female ruler of Emelan in some time (who was unfortunately still on poor terms with her cousin the Empress of Namorn after walking through their barrier and giving her other cousin the clehamat,) it paid to be careful. That meant protective barriers and thorough examination by those whose power was relevant to the object, which contained no thread or cloth.

Tris arrived first. _The outside is glass. Good glass._ Despite her presence, she spoke mind-to-mind, presumably for the benefit of Daja and Briar, who had not yet arrived.

 _How do you know glass?_ Daja asked.

_I got my first student because he got lightning in his glass magic, remember?_

_When does Coppercurls ever_ not _learn about something, given half a chance?_ Briar thought.

_There's something like lightning flowing in it. I could duplicate the effect- it's like what I do to keep lightning in my hair, actually. But this doesn't have magic in it, so I don't know how they did it. I'd need magic._

_Lightning?! Is it safe?_ Sandry asked.

_It's not going to hurt you. But you should look into how it got here- that might not be safe._

Briar was next. _No plants in this. Nothing from plants, either._

Daja declared that the thin wire was tungsten, and the rest of the wire copper.

“And this makes light and heat?” Daja asked.

“Looks like it. And it don't smell, neither!” Briar said.

“Do you think we could make more?” Sandry asked.

“ _I_ could make the lightning part go, and the rest... I think a good smith and a good glassblower could do it?” Tris said.

“But then it'd have magic. This doesn't have magic in it,” Briar pointed out.

“Can we worry about that later?” Sandry asked. “Even with magic, it could be useful, as long as there was a way to give it a store of power to draw on to keep running even when the mage isn't there.”

“You just want the taxes on another luxury item made only in Emelan, don't you?” Tris said.  
Sandry smiled. “And you don't? The living metal taxes are the reason we were able to help as many people as we could last drought. Besides, taxes on luxury magical items are ones that the craftspeople can afford to pay.”

“Is it OK if I take this with me?” Daja asked, holding up the bulb. “I want to try to make the wires for this, and it's easier if I have an example to look at.”

Sandry nodded. “Go ahead.” Tris followed Daja out, probably to experiment with the lightning part, but possibly to attempt making the globe.

Once they were out of earshot, Briar spoke. “And I suppose it's just an added bonus that _this_ particular item would use Tris's magic? Let her be the one to get rich, for once?”

“As Duchess of Emelan, do I ever get to do things for just one reason anymore?”

**Author's Note:**

> They're a little too distracted to think (much) about the question of where the bulb came from at the moment. It's OK, it just materialized for no apparent reason. Or for reason of (fan)authorial intent. Take your pick. Nothing that would seriously injure them is going to appear like that.  
> I don't think the worries about how it got there and if something dangerous may come of it are going to happen on-screen unless someone else writes it. If you do write that, I'd love a link.


End file.
